"Born in 1930s Appalachia, Jerry Falwell would become, by the end of the twentieth century, the most prominent evangelical leader the nation had ever seen--indeed, for many, he was the face of Christianity in America. The child of agnostic parents, he made a name for himself as a pastor and later founded his own Christian university. And although he was initially ambivalent about getting involved in politics, Falwell and his controversial Moral Majority rose to prominence during the paradigm-shifting1980 election. His work intersected with the major issues and leaders of the day, from Larry Flynt to Billy Graham, from Ronald Reagan to Bill Clinton. Now, journalist Michael Sean Winters unpacks the key moments of an unlikely life and its impact on religious and political life in the United States. He recounts the night of Falwell's 1952 conversion (incidentally the same night he met the woman who would be his wife for nearly 50 years). He describes Falwell's "I Love America" rallies of the 1970s, and how the founding of the Moral Majority in 1979 catapulted Falwell into the political arena and made him a household name. And he brings to life a man with sincere beliefs and enthusiasm for his work--a lightning rod who enraged the left with his polarizing tactics, but whose political cooperation prompted fundamentalist Bob Jones, Jr., to famously call him "the most dangerous man in America.""-- Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The prodigal : Falwell's early years -- The road to Damascus : Falwell's conversion -- The preacher : founding Thomas Road Baptist Church -- Family of faith -- Building a religious empire -- Wading into the religious-political estuary -- Starting the moral majority -- Proximity to power -- TITLE TK -- The first amendment : Falwell v. Flynt -- The perils of power : political missteps -- Scandal & retrenchment -- Liberty University : the next generation of culture warriors -- Back in opposition : the Clinton years -- Falwell's last years : controversy and consolatio.